Corey Perry Signs With The Oilers After We All Thought He'd Be Done Playing Hockey This Season

The Edmonton Oilers made a move that could define their season. No, they didn’t cut all-world center Connor McDavid (you can breathe now, Edmonton fans). Instead, the franchise signed troubled veteran Corey Perry.

The former Chicago Blackhawks forward got cut from his old team after reports surfaced about an incident in which he displayed “unacceptable behavior” back in November. While we still don’t know exactly what happened, Perry released a statement in which he said he was seeking out help for problems with alcohol.

Once he cleared waivers, the Blackhaws released him shortly after the initial reports about his behavior emerged.

Signing Perry Could Be A Huge Risk For Edmonton

At the time of this news, the Oilers were in the midst of a miserable losing streak and shockingly sat near the bottom of the Pacific Division standings.

Now, Edmonton seemingly can’t lose. They’ve won every game they played since before Christmas, and last lost on December 19th to the New York Islanders. Once a laughingstock, the Oilers now sit at third in their division.

When news of Perry’s troubles initially broke, OutKick’s resident hockey expert Matt Reigle guessed Edmonton would come knocking on his door. Lo and behold, Reigle lit the lamp on this prediction.

But is it worth the risk for Edmonton?

Perry himself admitted alcohol played a role in this mystery incident. Even when he’s not struggling with booze, Perry doesn’t have a sparkling reputation on the ice either. Except for maybe Boston’s Brad Marchand, Corey Perry might be the most hated player in the NHL - with good reason.

The Oilers have been a team chock full of some of the most skilled forwards on the planet, but who’ve lacked a more tough (and agitator-like)m presence like Perry. As such, this might be a needed addition if they finally want to win a Stanley Cup. But it could also doom them to more drama and trouble on and off the ice, especially give some of his past behavior.

This move could play a large part in defining how the rest of the season goes for Edmonton. The Oilers continue their campaign tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. against the Columbus Blue Jackets.